Things Can Only Get Better
by Destini Jensen Venturi
Summary: Alternate Universe: Our kids are dating...and so are we. We are going to be one big, “happy,” blended family...we hope. Geora Centric. NonDasey.
1. Not So Typical, Part 1

**NOTE – There truly is no need to re-read this chapter if you have already read it once. Only do so if you actually want to. Otherwise, move on to Chapter 1, Part 2 (a.k.a. Chapter 2).**

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**Title:** Things Can Only Get Better 

**Author:** Destini Venturi

**Summary:** Alternate Universe: Our kids are dating…and so are we. We are going to be one big, "_happy_," blended family…we hope.

**Pairings:** Geora (George/Nora). It starts out Dasey, but is a Non-Dasey/Non-Edwiz.

**Feedback:** Read & Review, Please.

**Warnings:** None that I am aware of, _yet_.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Life with Derek_ or any of its characters. _Life with Derek_, its characters, trademarks and logos belong to POPE Productions, Shaftesbury Kids, Daphne Ballon, and The Family Channel Canada/Disney Channel USA. This fanfiction is also based off a story in _True Story_ magazine, issue January 2006 – titled "Our Kids Are Dating… And So Are We." I own nothing except the further formation of the plot (which I have changed slightly and elaborated quite a bit more into) from the plot taken from the aforementioned story. Please do not sue. I have no money.

**Author's Note:** **_This chapter was re-uploaded AGAIN_** –**- **it has been slightly edited, but mostly everything is still the same. If you would like to make sure or would just like to re-read through it before going to chapter two so that you can go back over what has happened then, by all means do so. There is nothing stopping you!

This is a Non-Dasey/Non-Edwiz. Do not be fooled. Although, I love the pairings, I have decided that the fanfiction section here needs a few more non-Dasey fics. I do not want to ruin anything, but I do have to say that it does start out sort of Dasey-ish. This fiction is written for a majority of the time in George's point of view (taking on my own challenge (refer to the Challenge forum under forums in the LwD section for more information)-) unless I change my mind later on and decide to do other point of views too and it is based on a true story (which may or may not really be true depending on the facts…how do they look into these things for that magazine anyway?) from True Story magazine, issue January 2006.

I have taken it upon myself to start it at a random time. Marti is 6, Edwin is 10, and Derek is 15. Marti has just started 1st grade, Edwin has just started 5th grade, and Derek has just begun 10th grade as of a week before where this story begins. Casey is 14 1/2, in the same grade as Derek and Lizzie is 10, and in the same grade as Edwin, but they go to different schools during this time. Different from the series because of the fact that the MacDonalds moved into the Venturi family's home the day before that school year started. Re-watch "The Room" if you did not catch it – when Marti asks to play a computer game, Casey mentions to her that the next day is the first day of school and that that is why she is seated at her desk in the hallway and getting her school stuff situated and in order for her first day.

Please forgive me if you think this has too much dialogue. I am more attuned with dialogue than anything else most of the time. Especially when I am incapable of getting myself into the character's head that the point of view is in. I will try harder to be descriptive, but in some cases that may become far too hard to accomplish.

**Things to Know:**

– This is somewhat of an Alternate Universe.

– It is in First Person Point of View.

– This chapter is in **George's point of view**.

– Thoughts are in _italics_.

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"_How were you going to make money with lobsters?" – Walter Nichols, curious  
"Focus, Walter!" – Drake Parker, sarcastic  
Episode: "Honor Society"  
Show: Drake & Josh_

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**Chapter 1, Part 1 --- A Not So Typical Morning with the Venturis**

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**__**Venturi Household – One Month Before the Merge**_

_**Monday 5:00 AM – Kitchen**_

I placed a cup of orange juice in front of where Marti was sitting at the island in the kitchen and turned to oddly find my eldest son raiding the fridge for his breakfast surprisingly fully awake for the time of day that it was.

"I want grape juice!" Marti screamed when I had set the orange juice down in front of her. Her breakfast was a bowl of cheerios that had purple marshmallows thrown into it – apparently done so by Marti herself. I turned back to her. "It's purple day!" She remarked.

"Yeah, yeah, of course it is," I muttered with a sigh and turned back to Derek. "Derek, get the grape juice out of the fridge."

"Why do _I_ have to?" He asked with his mouth full of something that he had gotten out of the fridge to eat. I never got to see what it was, aside from seeing it chewed up in his mouth.

"Because you are already at the fridge," I reasoned.

Turning back to look at Marti I realized that she had decided she wouldn't continue eating until she got her grape juice. She sat there with her arms crossed and a hard frown on her face.

"Fine, but I do have more important matters to attend to," he said, still with his mouth full. "I've got a phone call to make."

I turned to him expecting the plastic bottle of grape juice to be handed over to me. He swallowed the food in his mouth and said, "Before 6:00 AM." I made a movement with my hand telling him to hurry it up and he grabbed the grape juice out of the fridge and handed it to me.

"Since when do you make phone calls this early in the morning or make phone calls at all? Usually people call you. Better yet, since when have you been _this awake_ this early in the morning? And why does this call have to be made before 6:00 AM?" I asked my son curiously, while pouring Marti a new cup, and then placing the cup of grape juice in front of Marti, leaving the cup of orange juice there. She took a few sips from the grape juice then set it down and started eating again.

"Since I finally found a girl that I have decided I want to actually date for more than just a few days or a week. There's something different about this one, Dad… I just don't know what it is yet," he confessed. "Oh, and the reason it has to be before 6:00 AM is because she doesn't go to the same school as me, she goes to some private all-girls school that starts at 6:30 AM _every day_." Derek finished with his answer to my questions and shuddered when he said 'every day.'

He went over to sit by Marti. "Morning, Smarti," He said, and reached over and took the cup of orange juice from in front of her and downed about half the glass before setting it back down in front of him.

"Mornin', Smerek!" Marti exclaimed happily, grinning as Edwin walked in rubbing his eyes.

All the noise down here and Marti's yelling must have woken him up. I was planning on letting him sleep in at least until he really does need to be up for school, and for that matter, Derek too… but apparently Derek had other plans and had actually set his alarm clock. In addition, he had actually woken up to it…I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.

"What time is it?" Edwin muttered incoherently, causing us all to ignore him. He was almost asleep again as he stood there, his eyes starting to close all over again.

"Well, that's news to me," I said, referring back to Derek's last statement. Derek turned back to look at me when I spoke. "When were you planning on telling me about this new girl? Not that you ever really do tell me. I usually walk in on you making out on the couch with random girls on a daily basis."

"Today actually, since she's coming over this afternoon around 4:30," Derek smirked. "That is when you would have found out about her had I not just told you." He finished the rest of the orange juice after he finished speaking and placed it back down on the island.

"I see. So how long have you been with her so far?" I asked him.

Apparently, I have not been paying very much attention lately since I had not known about any of this; I only noticed his change in behavior this morning… _hmmm._ Not that I really know all that much about him anyway, with Derek…it is best not to know.

I watched Edwin sleepily fix himself a bowl of cereal – obviously still unaware of what un-godly hour it was and very oblivious to the current conversation and somewhat oblivious to what he was even doing.

"Three days. I met her through a friend of mine Friday evening. Got her number, called her and asked her out on Saturday and… yeah, it's been three days." Derek answered, almost rambled, which is not normal for him, it seems he realized this mid-ramble as he stood up and walked out of the kitchen apparently to use the phone 'before 6:00 AM.'

I shook my head in complete amazement at this change in him, a somewhat small change, but a change nonetheless.

Edwin had finished getting his cereal by this time and had taken Derek's place at the island right after Derek had left the room. "Edwin, son, are you aware of what time it is? I was going to let you sleep until the usual time that you get up for school seeing as only Marti and I needed to be up this early."

Suddenly Edwin was all-too aware of his surroundings and what he was doing. "Please, tell me what time it is! And please say that it is not as early as I now suddenly think it is!" He blurted. He was overly frantic, but I guess waking up at this time a day when he normally sleeps in until 8:00 AM on a school day is something that could cause a reaction like this.

"It's now 5:30 AM. Marti has a dentist appointment at 6:30. And since it is so far out of town and I have to be at work at 7:30 your mother is going to take her to the appointment, which means I have to have Marti ready to leave by the time Abby gets here to pick her up." Edwin was now fully awake and I could, metaphorically speaking, see the wheels turning in his head.

"Marti's dentist is 1 hour out of town, Dad. Mom will be here any minute now to pick her up, so that she gets there on time. You're running very, _very_ late, and Marti is still eating breakfast, but either way Mom is going to have to go over the speed limit to get there in time to have 5 minutes to spare to find a parking spot and then sign her in for the appointment since she hasn't gotten here yet." He stated matter-of-factly, pointing at Marti, as he stated that she was still eating, and she was in fact still eating…slowly.

'_This is what you have to deal with when you have a math genius for a son,' _I thought.

"You know, Dad, I think you should start dating." Edwin suddenly, very randomly, I might add, told me. Apparently, his mind had changed gears from 'time' math to him getting a new 'in-home' mom. Must be a result of being up so early, he is not used to it yet.

"Right…," I said in a way that told him _'I don't care much for dating right now; I have my kids. That is enough for me.' _"Come on, Marti. It's time to go brush your teeth." I motioned for her to take the lead, so that I could follow.

"NO!" She screamed, got down from her seat, and ran out of the room. I followed closely behind her. "Smerek! Smerek!!! Save me!!!!"

As I followed her, I found my eldest son in the living room sitting on the couch still on the phone with his newest girlfriend.

"Huh?" I heard him say into the phone; obviously he had been distracted by Marti calling for him. "Oh, that's Marti, my little sister. I told you about her, right?"

She must have answered him because he then moved the mouthpiece of the phone away from his mouth without any further explanation, but kept the earpiece to his ear and leaned forward to Marti who was now sitting on the floor in front of him grasping hold of his legs. "What am I saving you from, Smarti?"

"Brush-fink my teefths," the six-year-old said as if she were only three, looking desperately up at him for help. "Hide me?" She asked.

"Ah, I see. Well, between you and me – you don't really have to brush your teeth. But then you might lose 'em. Plus you wouldn't be able to kiss anybody if you have bad breath." Derek smirked as I shook my head.

"Eeeewwww!!!" She squealed loudly. "I's ain't kissin' nobody. That's gwoss!" She stated as she ran off to her room.

"You should have used the 'lose them' bit last, Derek." I told him as he chuckled.

"Hey, I put them in order of importance." Derek said, as he moved the mouthpiece of the phone closer to his mouth again. I heard a female giggle loudly through the phone.

"Really? I thought the kissing bit would have been your top priority." I smiled at him, thinking I had caught him in a mistake that he had made and felt it necessary to try to embarrass him while on the phone with a girl that he, shockingly, seems to care a lot about.

"Yeah, but they both are the same in my opinion. It's just that the no teeth thing is more important. I mean, who would even _want_ to kiss someone who has no teeth?" Derek stated, and then with disgusted resolve said, "That would be like kissing someone's grandparent who isn't wearing their false teeth… on the lips." He shuddered. He seemed to be talking to both his girlfriend and me right then.

I am quite sure that I heard an "I sure wouldn't." come from the phone in a female voice after Derek had made the comment 'who would even _want_ to kiss someone who has no teeth'.

"Well, I see you have made your point. Now, don't you think you should let the girl go so she can get to school on time? It is now 5:47, in case you were wondering. Your mother will be here any minute to pick up Marti to take her to the dentist and she still hasn't brushed her teeth and I have to leave soon too." Derek gave me a questioning look. "Don't want to get caught in traffic." I said in answer, as if any further explanation was not needed.

"You just don't want to be here when mom gets here." Derek said, and then to the girl on the phone he said, "I guess I'll let you go so you can get going. I'll see you later today, Case… Bye."

'_One sided telephone conversations are weird…_,' I suddenly thought.

He hung up the phone, as I got a sudden idea, "Oh, and I won't be back until around 5:00 PM today. So, sustain yourself while this girl is over, all right? I don't want to walk in and catch anything more than the usual make-out session." I stated, and winked at him, as the doorbell suddenly rang.

"Ha! Looks like you weren't so lucky, Dad. Mom's here," Derek said as he started towards the door. "Oh, and like I would go that far! Especially on such a _family treasure_ as the couch!" he yelled over his shoulder, and then he opened the door to greet his mother.

'_Who does he think I am? Someone he just met?'_ I thought, skeptically. '_I don't believe that remark for a second!'_

Deciding to avoid Abby as much as I possibly could, I went upstairs to find Marti. Whether she brushes her teeth or not she is leaving for her dentist appointment, of that I was certain. The less time Abby has to be here the better.

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**Author's Note:**

Totals: 9 pages, 3,485 words, 79 paragraphs, and 304 lines for chapter one including the Author's notes and other information. It is 6 pages, 2,108 words, 49 paragraphs, and 178 lines for just the story itself.

Pretty long and not too shabby if I do say so myself, even if I'm a little skeptical about all of my written works. So, tell me what you think so far and keep in mind that this is based _partly_ off a story I found in True Story magazine. And that it is just my own version of what had happened before the merge of the two families and what will be happening after the merge making this _somewhat_ of an alternate universe. Which is rather obvious, since you can already tell that I will have George meeting Casey as being Derek's girlfriend in an upcoming chapter (most likely the next unless someone thinks I should do what I have mentioned below)). Actual episodes of the series may not always work out well with this story so they will be given a twist, especially with the way that it will be progressing. Basically – I'm re-writing the entire story my own way. I hope that no one on the show's crew is offended by that! It is just an idea that I just had to write.

This will continue to be in George's point of view most of the time (except in cases where it would have to be Derek or Casey); unless someone thinks I should try Nora's for the next chapter. If so, just say so and maybe I will give it a try. Maybe the next chapter will be "A (Not So) Typical Morning with the MacDonalds" in accordance with this chapter if many people say that they think I should try Nora's point of view.

Truthfully, I tend to criticize my own work harshly. It is just that I read all of these others and they seem so different, but of course everyone's writing style _is_ different and I know that and I realize it. I am not complaining. I just feel that I cannot live up to the other _wonderfully_ written fanfictions out there, but oh well, I write more for my enjoyment for everyone to read it than anything else.

As for Marti's speech, I wrote it the same way she would say it using a writing term called dialect. Moreover, her appointment being so early is not really all that odd. Some dentists only have openings that early in the day. I should know I have had appointments scheduled that early because they had no other openings available.

Oh, and if my math was way off on Edwin's 'time' math deduction, please forgive me – I have Dyscalculia: Math Dyslexia, (although that was not very hard math, nor was it very mathematic to say the least). I have a problem being able to understand math correctly. I can't even count up anything in my head without making an error and having to re-count (which starts up my OCD), I have to write it down on paper and work it out that way or take the easy way out – use a calculator.

I plan on this being rather long, and it will also be the first fiction I post that is longer than one chapter. My plan was to have my Hey Arnold! Series project up before this, but inspiration for this one hit me and I got the first chapter of this one done in a way that I see fit for upload back in June. Why has it taken me so long to upload it? Because FFnet was acting all stubborn every time I tried. I have been trying to upload this for weeks now. Thankfully, it finally got through.

Someone please tell me what you think of my version of George. Do you feel that he is right/wrong/out of character?? I feel like it is right for some reason, but I also have this nagging feeling that some parts of him are a little off.

So, what do you lot think of it so far? Please, R&R! (Yes, my author's notes are long – please get used to it you will be seeing it a lot…even in my other fictions.)

– **_Destini V._** –


	2. Not So Typical, Part 2

**Warnings:** The rating has been moved up to 'T' because there may be some harsh language in the story later on, not exactly this chapter, but later on in future chapters. This is just to let you know.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Life with Derek_ or any of its characters. _Life with Derek_, its characters, trademarks and logos belong to POPE Productions, Shaftesbury Kids, Daphne Ballon, and The Family Channel Canada/Disney Channel USA. This fanfiction is also based off a story in _True Story_ magazine, issue January 2006 – titled "Our Kids Are Dating… And So Are We." I own nothing except the further formation of the plot (which I have changed slightly and elaborated quite a bit more into) from the plot taken from the aforementioned story. Please do not sue. I have no money.

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_"Case, can I talk to you for a sec?" – 'Princess' Derek Venturi (in a dress and make-up)  
"Anything for a pretty lady!" – Casey MacDonald, humorous/sarcastic  
Episode: "Marti the Monster"  
Show: Life with Derek__

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**Chapter 1, Part 2 --- A Not So Typical Morning with the MacDonalds**

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**__**MacDonald Household – One Month Before the Merge**_

_**Monday 5:00 AM – Kitchen**_

I sat at the table in our kitchen looking over my latest interior design project for my presentation that was taking place later this afternoon. I had been working on it for days and I had stayed up all night working on it trying to finally finish it. It just did not seem to want to turn out right each time I tried and I was about to fall asleep on top of it. Just lay my head down on the table and go to sleep. That sounded like a very good idea right about now.

This was unusual for me. I almost never take this long on a presentation, but this one was just being stubborn. Interior Design should not be this hard! I leaned over my presentations once more and sighed. Maybe if I just accepted them as they were I would not be having such a hard time with them.

As I sorted out my work to where I could look at each one at the same time, I looked up just in time to see my eldest daughter enter the kitchen with the cordless phone in hand.

"Hi, Mom," Casey greeted enthusiastically as she grabbed an orange from the fruit bowl. "I see that you're busy, I'll just be having a quick breakfast this morning. I'm waiting on a call."

"You seem really enthusiastic this morning," I sighed from exhaustion at the thought of her early morning energy. I was beginning to wonder how she was able to be so energetic this early in the morning, but reminded myself that she had slept through the night. However, I had not.

"Who are you waiting on to call?" I asked her curiously, as I watched her peel the skin off the orange, pull one of the orange slices out, and then take a bite out of it.

"Yeah…well, remember that boy I told you about and went out with on Saturday?" she asked, all the while smiling from ear to ear answering my question and basically telling me why she is so enthusiastic this morning. "Remember me mentioning that he invited me over to his place after school?"

"Casey," I started, determined to get a point across even though I knew she was not the type of girl to just give up everything for a guy. In fact, she was the one who still pushed feminism, which is based on many feminine morals, to its extreme limits in this house, not that I am complaining – I wholeheartedly agree with the issue. I caught the look on her face that told me I need not even begin telling her what she already knew. "I know, I know, but I feel the need to anyway. Just be careful, Case. He is your first boyfriend."

"I know. I blame the all-girls school for that," she retorted, jokingly. "No, really, Mom! You know me, you know what to expect from me. That is not just going to change just because I now have a boyfriend."

"Just remember, not everyone is as predictable as you are," I reasoned. "Don't expect this boy to stick around for too long. That is all I am saying."

"I don't expect him to, Mom. He does make me happy, but I know that some things don't last forever," Casey explained. "Listen, Mom, of all the people in the world, you know you can trust me and you know that I know how to take care of myself. I went out with him Saturday night and to top it all off came home an hour before curfew, remember?"

"Yeah, I just worry," I told her as I looked inadvertently over my presentation again. This conversation was coming to a close I could feel it, this presentation on the other hand was not getting anywhere with me sitting here having a much needed heart-to-heart with my daughter. "It's my job to worry."

"I know," she leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Thanks, Mom."

"Oh, and instead of by curfew tonight, since you are going to be over at his house be back home by 6:00 PM for dinner. Otherwise, I will come find you," I stated sternly. "Oh, and that reminds me – write down this boy's address and phone number for me, okay? I want to be able to track you down if I ever need to. Although, knowing you as well as I do I expect to never need to."

"Yes, Mom," she stated before setting the cordless phone and her half eaten orange down on the counter and grabbing the only piece of blank paper from the table in front of me and the pen in my hand leaving a short black line on the presentation before me. "Thanks."

"Casey!" I scolded. "I was using that pen." Actually, I truly was not using it, since the presentation was going nowhere by now, but I had to say something.

"Sorry," she apologized, shrugging, but smiled nonetheless, and then began to write down the contact information.

She added 'The Venturi's address & number' to the top of the page before writing out the address and phone number right as our phone rang. She handed the paper over to me and then answered the phone after grabbing it back off the counter, leaving her half eaten orange still sitting there. I laid the paper down before me and gave it a once over as I shook my head at this unusual occurrence, far too unlike her. Lately the girl could loose her head if it were not attached.

"Hello… oh, hey!" She answered the caller, apparently her boyfriend from her enthusiastic reaction. "I was actually expecting you not to call, I mean, it being so early. I know you're not really a morning person." She then left the kitchen without another word to me as Lizzie walked in.

"Hey, Mom. What's up with Casey?"

"Hey, Lizard," I did not even look up this time, just continued to look over my presentation. So far, I was not focusing enough to be able to tell if they were up to standard. "Her boyfriend, he's on the phone."

I stood and walked over to the counter to get a cup of coffee. I could tell I needed it. It would be my fifth cup in seven hours.

"Enough said. Late night?" Lizzie asked supportively. "I guess that means quick breakfast. That's alright. I'm running late anyway."

"Yeah, these presentations just don't seem to want to come out the way_ I_ want them to," I stated as I sat back down at the table, setting my coffee cup down as I did so, and finally looked up at her curiously. "And why are you running late?"

"My alarm clock's batteries died during the middle of the night," she rolled her eyes and sighed. That has happened before on very rare occasions, but Casey had always taken the time to wake her up before even getting ready for the day herself when she knows that Lizzie's alarm clock has not gone off. "Casey woke me up this morning…_after_ she took her shower and got dressed."

'That's unusual…once again. She must have had that boy on her mind.' I thought, and then decided to take the girls to school on my way to work; it beats either of them missing the bus. I would be tremendously early to work of course, but punctuality is always a plus. Not to mention I still needed a little quiet time to look over this presentation just one more time before it has to be revealed to my client.

"Well, grab an apple or an orange and finish getting ready," I instructed as I gathered my presentations together while also taking a long sip from my coffee downing about half of it and then poured the rest down the sink and rinsed out the cup with some water from the faucet and set it in the drainer. "I'll drop you both off at school on my way to work."

However, I did decide the presentation was going to have to do no matter how accomplished or how abysmal it was. I would just look over it once more and whether it was perfect or not I would just have to accept it as is. "And I'll talk to Casey. She seems to be a little scatterbrained lately. I'll also buy you a new alarm clock – one with a plug-in _and_ backup battery."

"Thanks, but you really don't have to do that," she said as she grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl. "Just some new batteries would be fine – at least it would be less expensive." She then took a bite out of the apple.

"Yes, but if the batteries keep going dead it will end up costing us more in the long run. I'll just buy you a new clock." I told her, she only nodded and left to finish getting ready.

"We should have thought of this when we bought it for you in the first place," I said aloud to myself.

I had finally gathered everything I needed and began my tread into the living room of our condominium. Casey, sitting on the couch, was still chatting away on the phone.

'_Talking to that boy, what was his name? It started with a D, right?' _I thought. '_Daniel…? Danny…? Dan…? Daryl…? David…? Dave…? Del…? Drake…? Derek…? …Derek! Her boyfriend's name is Derek. Right_.'

That almost made me wonder if I had even been listening when she had told me about him. I remember I had been working on my presentation at the time; I was probably too absorbed in it to really listen to her. It would have been the only time I truly never did give her enough attention while she was speaking to me. I just wonder if she even noticed. She has been absorbed in schoolwork and her own little world lately.

'_Need to pay a little more attention to your eldest daughter, Nora,' _I told myself. _'This is a time when she may really need you.' _

Who knows if this so-called relationship she has with this _Derek_ will really last or not. She has never gone through a breakup before. She has never even had a boyfriend before. I know she said and thinks differently on the matter, but she may truthfully be expecting everything to go perfectly and that they will be together for quite awhile. She was only 5 ½ years-old when her father left us; Lizzie had just been born 4 months before. She does not comprehend the 'people leave when you need them most' quandary. She was too young to understand then and has not learned it now. I just worry about how it would affect her if it were to actually happen now with this boy.

I began to eavesdrop on the conversation, but it was hard when she was not speaking much anymore.

"Oh, yeah, I remember you telling me about Marti," I heard her speak up suddenly.

'_I wonder who Marti is…,'_ I thought as I continued to listen while still un-noticed by the party being eavesdropped on.

"That is so sweet!" She exclaimed. "You're sweet! Your little sister seems to really adore you."

She was silent for a few more minutes. Apparently, he had begun talking again, if it was actually to Casey or Marti or someone else was unknown by me.

'_I wonder if this "Marti" really is his little sister,' _I contemplated to myself.

"I definitely wouldn't," she suddenly stated after a few minutes. She had a look of disgust on her face, but only a few moments ago she had been giggling and talking ecstatically about how sweet he is and how his little sister seems to adore him.

'_One sided telephone conversations are weird…_,' I suddenly thought.

A few moments later, she told him goodbye and said that she would see him later today, and then she hung up and turned to see me standing there making it completely obvious that I had been eavesdropping on her conversation waiting for her to end the call so I could get everyone on their way out the door this morning.

"How much did you hear?" she asked curiously.

"Not much. I've only been standing here for five minutes," I replied honestly. "Most of all I heard was silence on your end. Aside from a few comments about how sweet your boyfriend is and some things about someone named Marti. "

I knew it would sound somewhat embarrassing for her to even mention any of that to her, but it was only the two of us here in the living room so no harm done. I waited a few moments for her to retort, but she surprisingly stayed silent. "Are you almost ready to go? I've decided to drive you and Lizzie to school this morning."

"Yeah, I'm ready to go. Would you like for me to check on Lizzie to see if she's ready yet?" she suggested and stood from the couch walking past me, she stopped and turned back towards me waiting for my answer.

I nodded and decided to talk with her about her scatterbrained-ness before she walked off to check on Lizzie. She began to turn away again when I called her name.

"Yeah, Mom?" She stopped mid-turn and turned back to face me.

"Since you actually have your mind on your sister at the moment, " I began to explain. "I thought I would go ahead and mention that this morning – Lizzie would not be running late if you had woken her up the same way you always used to when her alarm clock battery goes dead."

"Yeah, about that…," she sheepishly began to explain. "I was so busy thinking about the fact that Derek was supposed to call that I didn't notice she wasn't up yet until after I had gotten dressed."

"Casey, with you there should be no excuses. Boyfriend or not," I scolded. "You have always helped me keep this house orderly and by the clock. According to you, you say that just because you have a boyfriend it isn't going to change you, but I am beginning to think differently."

"I know, Mom, I'm sorry. It won't happen again – I promise," she sounded sincere enough. That was reason enough to believe her, for now, but she is known for her word.

"All right, just don't let it happen again," I told her with a stern look.

She nodded and went off to check on Lizzie. Moments later, they both entered the living room ready to go and we made our way quickly out the door by 6:05 AM, giving me 25 minutes to get them to school on time. Even if I had not decided thirty minutes ago to drive them to school, they would have missed the bus by twenty minutes. It had been an unusual morning for us.

'_A very unusual morning indeed,'_ I thought, as we made our way to the car.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Totals: 9 pages, 3,412 words, 72 paragraphs, and 303 lines in Microsoft Word. This includes Author's notes and other information. It is 7 pages, 2,523 words, 60 paragraphs, and 222 lines for just the story itself.

I cannot believe I even got seven pages out of this and only six for the first chapter! I do not think this was as good as the first chapter, but I digress. I tried. I hope that the next one will be much better. I do not like this chapter as much as the first chapter.

I guess I am getting a lot better at the 'being descriptive' thing, but that is my own opinion – my descriptions are much better in **_Mysterious Wind_**. I have to thank the Creative Writing class that I took last spring though. It helped a lot with my grammar, spelling, and descriptions, but this is a serious challenge for me to write these characters in first person point of view. I do not think I would have any trouble writing Casey or Derek in first person point of view, but George and Nora – that is a different story. Not much is truly known about them from bios and the show anyway except for their jobs and personalities. It makes it a lot harder to write in their point of views when there are no episodes based solely on them or longer bios that are confirmed to be true to help us learn more about them.

I have decided to start adding in more than one point of view per chapter (and from now on my author's notes will be at the bottom of the chapters for this fic), but the alternating point of views will not start until after this chapter. This chapter was, as I am sure you noticed, in Nora's point of view only. All chapters after this one will alternate between George, Nora, Derek, and Casey's point of views all of which taking place in the same chapter for each of the upcoming chapters.

In addition, since not much is known about Nora's ex-husband I made some things up. I have done quite a bit of research around the family(dot)ca LwD mini-site, Pope Productions website, and Shaftesbury's website, but found nothing in reference to any background information on George and Nora's exes. So, I became creative and made some stuff up - like I did in the last chapter with Abby, and George not wanting to see her or deal with her. However, I do not like making up names for unknown characters in a series unless the series has been over with for quite a while - like Hey Arnold. Therefore, I will not be making up a name for Nora's ex-husband. Nor will I be giving Sam a last name for this very same reason. Also, since they seem to ride the bus to school in the show (it is never really said or confirmed whether they do or not but they show a bus in some of the episodes) I decided to have the MacDonald children ride the bus to Fletcher Academy (we do not know much about the school, so I am just going to say that it is a middle school hooked on to a high school, making it possible for Lizzie to ride the same bus as her sister), and even though I did not mention it in the previous chapter the Venturi children also ride a bus (two separate ones) to school, except for Marti who gets driven to her elementary school, which is on the way to George's Law firm, by George himself. Okay, I have explained enough, have I not?

I have also been working on another _Life with Derek_ fiction – **_Mysterious Wind_**. It is a sci-fi romance, a crossover with _Martin Mystery_, and it will be my first Dasey-centric fic. I hope and plan to have it completely uploaded (a chapter or two at a time each day until my goal date) by Halloween day since it has some Halloween aspects, it just is not really centered around the Halloween holiday - or any holiday for that matter, but it is Sci-Fi. I think my efforts have been more towards it than this for the time being and that is why _this_ chapter is not so good. I apologize for that.

– **_Destini V._** –


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